1849.1 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



JiS 



The Oriental and Peninsular Steam Navy. — The Oriental and Peninsular 

 Steam Company have added another first-class steam. vessel to their already 

 powerful navy, which will shortly be equal to that of any of the continental 

 governments, when we take into consideration the effective state the whole 

 of the vessels are constantly kept in. The Bombay vessel which has just 

 been finished was built by Mr. Pitcher, and is 1,200 tons burthen. The en- 

 gines were constructed by Messrs. Miller, Ravenhill, and Co., and are collec- 

 tively of 450-horse power; the cylinders are oscillatory. At the experi- 

 mental trip niade last month, they wdrked with great precision, owing to the 

 beautiful woikmanship and the accuracy of their finish. The performance 

 of these engines clearly substantiates the opinion that was expressed in this 

 Journal eight years since, when only oscillatory engines of 20 and 30 horse 

 power were constructed, that with good woikmanship oscillating engines of 

 any power might be made. 



Pierce's Pyro- Pneumatic Stmre. — Mr. Pierce, the well-known stove manu- 

 facturer, has patented a pedestal stove, with an open fire and hot air cham- 

 bers, formed of lire clay. The air is admitted at the bottom hy a tnhe, 

 brought from the exterior of the building and carried through the chambers, 

 which are heated from the back and sides of the stoves, and also by the flue 

 that passes out at the liack. The air by this stove is not burnt, as is gene- 

 rally the case with hot-air stoves constructed of iion j and hy having an open 

 fire the room is ventilated, and the foul air carried ofi by the draught of the 

 fire. 



Dia Magtietism. — The investigations now proceeding in the hands of 

 Qilrsted, Pliickcr, Faraday, Weber, and other no lei^s able experimentalists, 

 into the phenomena of dia-magnetism are gradually developing facts that 

 bear in a remarkable manner on all those less evident powers which are 

 usually classed under the general term of molecular forces. We may hope 

 within a short time to gain a more satisfactory knowledge of crystallisatinn, 

 and the laws which determine the forms of crystallised bodies, into which 

 the recent researches of Faraday and Piiicker are conducting us. The curious 

 observations of Plueker, which show that in the vegetable kingdom both the 

 magnetic and dia-raagnetic forces are, under varying conditions, in great 

 activity, will in all probability direct us toward a solution of the curious 

 problem of the influences of the solar rays on vegetable growth. That dia- 

 magnetism is not another manifestation of ordinary magnetism is now proved 

 by the single fact, that whilst a magnetic body is attracted throughout its 

 mass hy each of the two poles of a magnet, a dia-magnetic body is repelled 

 by each pole throughout its mass. — Athenaeum. 



To prevent Metals corroding. — Dip the articles first into very dilute nitric 

 acid, afterwards immerse them in linseed oil, and then allow the excels of 

 oil to drain ofl'. 



Improvements in the Make of Iron. — The astonishing increase in the pro- 

 duce of the furnaces in the bituminous districts takes its origin from the ap- 

 plication of steam and engine power to the production of a continuous 

 stream or pillar of blast, in place of the pufling of the old-fashioned wind 

 bellows; and, further, to a discovery of my highly-valued friend, Anthony 

 Hill, Esq., of the Plymouth Works, Slerthyr-Tydvil. It is to the science, 

 energy, and research of this gentleman, that the iron-trade is indelited for 

 the practical discovery that the cinders produced in the various stages of 

 converting, in our forges, crude or cast-iron into wrought or malleable iron, 

 were capable of being resmelted and reconverted in the blast-furnace, and 

 the iron they contained (amounting to 50, 60, and 70 per cent.) profitably 

 extracted from them. These cinders were formerly thrown away as refuse, 

 or used only for the repair of out roads and thoroughfares — they are now 

 eagerly sought after, and purchased at values as high as some of our richest 

 iron ores. To Mr. Hill a debt of public gratitude, and something more, is 

 due, which I should rejoice to see properly acknowledged and paid. Mr. 

 Yates, of Rotherham, Yorkshire, has, at his works at Wingerworth, near 

 Chesterfield, erected blast furnaces of an entirely different construction from 

 those in use in this district, and the plan of which he has patented. They 

 are about 20 feet in height, of a peculiar shape, and are blown with a soft 

 fan-blast. When I visited them, a few months ago, they were working ad- 

 mirably, and producing excellent pig-iron, at the rate of 120 tons and up- 

 wards in a week, at each furnace. These furnaces, and their blowing appa- 

 ratus and appendages, appeared to me so simple and inexpensive of construc- 

 tion, in comparison with the huge piles of masonry and ponderous ma- 

 chinery of our blastfurnaces and engines in Wales, that I imagined they 

 would create a perfect revolution in the iron trade. In the anthracite dis- 

 tricts of our mineral basin, the improvements effected by the late Mr. Crane, 

 and the application by him of hot blast to the smelting of iron with anthra- 

 cite coal, were acknowledged, certainly not more gratefully than they de. 

 served to be, by those who are interested in the mineral productions of the 

 anthracite districts, wherein the deposit of ironstone or ore is enormous, 

 but its reduction with its accompanying fuel almost new. The recent 

 improvements of Mr. J. Palmer Budd, adopted at his extensive works at 

 Ystalyfera, near Neath, and patented by him, are worthy of the greatest at- 

 tention, Mr. Budd, who read an admirable paper, explanatory of bis 

 improvements, to the chemical section of the meeting at which my address 

 was delivered, and with the kindest liberality, invited the members of the 

 association to visit and inspect his works, has succeeded in economising the 

 use and consumption of an expensive and valuable fuel, and in preserving 

 from positive waste, and applying to profitable use, volumes of beat evolved 

 in the process of smelting, heretofore allowed to escape. 



Mineral Resources of Epypt. — More Gold. — A recent number of the 

 Bombay Telegraph contains an account, from a correspondent at Cairo, of 

 an expedition of Colonel Kaveloveski, engineer of mines in Russia, who was 

 sent to Egypt, at the desire of Mebemet Ali, to investigate the mineral 

 resources of that country, which sppears to have resulted at the discovery of 

 a somewhat productive gold di^trict. The expedition (it is stated) which 

 left Cairo under Colonel Kaveloveski, arrived at Cassen on the 16th of 

 March. The next day he commenced his researches, with his Siberian 

 assistants, on the eastern side of the river Somat. The Egyptian soldiers 

 dug wells to the depth of 200 feet, when water appeared ; the sand or ma- 

 terial was then submitted to the process of washing. In an hour's juuruey 

 from the river the colonel came to a place encompassed by small hillocks, 

 not higlier than 40 or 50 feet. He immediately decided that veins of gold 

 would be found there, and directed that they should be dug into about half 

 their height, ordering the excavated materials to be afterwards carefully 

 examined. He continued these operations for six or seven days, the Siberian 

 workmen washing the sands upon a drum. On the eighth day he concluded 

 from the results that these sands were richer than those in many paHs of 

 Siberia ; for 100 poods of sand in Siberia produced but 25 habhas, whilst 

 100 puods were yielding at Cassen from 50 to 32 habbas. On the ninth 

 day the colonel directed his Russian workmen to prepare the machines for 

 washing, whilst be departed to make new researches with about 1,000 

 Egygtian soldiers, using them oceasionally for the works, and sometin.es for 

 personal safety. He made several experiments on the banks of the rivers 

 Kamia, Dys, Gucka, and Benischangol, and afterwards at Sorgonti and 

 Gamamil ; this last river is about eight hours' journey south of Cassen. 

 Here he found the sands considerably richer than those of Cassen. In his 

 travels, the colonel found quantities of argillaceous iron, rock crystal, and 

 zinc, but no other metals, nor any vestige or appearance of coal. On taking 

 his departure from Cassen he left the works under the direction of two 

 Arab engineers or mineralogists, who studied in Germany and Siberia. 

 Colonel Kaveloveski pronounces his final and decided opinion that the 

 richest sands are to be found on the easteru bank of the Somat; and be 

 does not believe that auy other place which he has searched will produce 

 results so favourable. 



Artificial Light. — Professor Brande delivered a lecture at the Royal In- 

 stitution, " On the Theory and Practice of the Production of Light." Mr. 

 Brande commenced by referring to the mould candles and single-wicked oil- 

 lamps used in bouses and streets at the beginning of the present century ; 

 and remaiked that the vast improvement made in artificial illumination 

 might be taken as a striking instance of the great influence of applied 

 science on the comforts of life. He then proceeded to give a statement of 

 the scientific causes of this improvement. In common flames the evolution 

 of light results from two independent causes — ignition and combustion. 

 Ignition is probably a mere transient physical state of matter, producing no 

 ciiange in the ignited substance. Combustion is essentially a chemical phe- 

 nomenon, — the heat and light produced are the effect of successive chemi- 

 cal actions, and the substance is permanently changed. Comius/ion, then, 

 may be regarded as the origin of the heat — ignitionoi the light afforded by 

 flame. Mr. Brande demonstrated by many experiments that the luminosity 

 of flame is due to solid matter existing in the combustible gas ; and be 

 noticed the expansive effect of heat in throwing down charcoal in the com- 

 bustion of olefiant gas. The conditions of the fitness of bodies for purposes 

 of common illumination were stated to he, that the matter fr<tm which the 

 luminosity is to be obtained should be combustible ; and that the product of 

 its combustion should be gaseous inodorous, and harmleis. Thf products of 

 the combustion of oil; wax, tallow' and gas were contiasted with those of 

 phosphorous, arsenic, &c. — which, but for the corrosive and poisonous mat- 

 ters resulting from their combustion, might be used as sources of light. 

 It was also noticed, that though carbonic acid gas (which is one of the 

 products of the combustion of coal gas, &c.), he in itself noxious, it be- 

 comes harmless when difl'used through the atmosphere. The importance of 

 an accurate adjustment of the solid matter of the combustible to the 

 oxygen required for its combustion was next dwelt upon. It was shown by 

 experiments with Leslie's burners that when too much air is admitted to a 

 flame light is lost, and that in an insufficient supply of air the flame emits 

 smoke, owing to the imperfect combustion of its caibun. The light uf 

 flame must be as nearly white as possible. This was proved by the oblitera- 

 tion of colour when viewed by a monochromatic flame. That artificial ligl't 

 may imitate that of the sun in purity was shown by the obtaining a Talbu- 

 type iu less tbnn a minute by the light of phosphorus burnt in oxygen. A 

 brilliant light was exhibited, produced by a kind of petroleum. From K^O 

 to 150 gallons uf this substance are daily collected at Kidding, Derbyshire, 

 By distillation it yields 5 per cent, of naptha, 5 per cent, of paraffine 

 (mineral tallow), and 80 per cent, of mineral oil. This oil is woitb above 

 is. a gallon ; and when burnt in a common argand lamp gives the light of 

 seven candles at the cost of three-eighths of a penny per hour. In conclu- 

 sion, Mr. Brande noticed the electric light. He mentioned that the notion 

 of electricity, as a source of illumination, had been suggested by Da\y 

 nearly half a century ago, with whom it was a favourite idea. Mr. Branile 

 stated that a mode of procuring cheap electricity must precede the econo- 

 mical use of such illumination; and that were this obtained, water might 

 be decomposed, and its hydrogen napthalised and then burnt, so as 

 to produce a vivid, bright, and steady flame iu its other element— oxy- 

 gen. 



